Container for cards



` Y. Jan. 2, 1940. v c. w. BECK l 2,185,624

CONTAINER FOR CARDS Filed March 8, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet l l .5 l" /I L54 M IOL o Fl :1.8

INVENTOR Jan. Z, 1940. c. w. Bl-:czK

CONTAINER FOR CARDS 2v Sheets-Sheet 2 l Filed March 8, 1955 INVENTOR Patentedl Jan. 2, 1940 UNITED sTA'rss A eATEN-r i OFFICE I i l l 2,185,624 ooN'TMNERron oARDs Charles W, Beck, Toledo, AOhio v Application March 8, 1935, serial No.. 10,058

8 claims. (o1. 20s- 74) I l Fig.A le is an enlarged cross section of the con-,-

rlihis invention relates to card containers, cigaret holders, containers for prescription blanks for doctors, containers for memo blanks and the like placed on the .inside of the container, to the` end that no part of either the hinge or the lockcontainer.

ing mechanism is exposed on the outside of the The hinge mechanism and locking means further embody means whereby the: cover for the container may be moved horizontally to rst unlock the means for fastening the cover and pivotal means whereby the cover may be rotated to open it, without havingy any part ofthe mechanism` perforatey the case and permit dust and dirt to enter lthe container.

The further vpurpose of the invention is to make a container of plastic material in various colors which is dustproof and pleasing in its appearance.

Fig. 1 is a plan View of the container in which by dotted lines.

the inside parts of the container are illustrated Fig. '2 is an end'view of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a cross section of Fig. 1- along lines Fig. 4 is a plan View illustratingv a modication of someof the features of the invention embodied in Fig. 1 with the 'body member in one unit and made of metal.

1 trated iny Fig'. 4.

. Fig. 5 is a side View of the container illus- Fig. 6 is an end view'of the container shown in Fig.` 4.

Fig. 7 is an enlarged section of the container showing the container closed with the hinge mechanism in section along lines A-A of Fig. 1.

Fig. 8 is a ragm-entaryzsection of the side walls Ic in section along lines C -gfC of Fig. 1.

of the container in modi- Fig; 9 is a plan View ned form. i

Fig. 1l. is an enlarged cross section along lines Ae--A 0f Fig. 9.

Fig, 1G is a side view of the container ot Fig. 1'2 is anenlarged plan view `of the leyfthand end of the container shown in Fig. 9 illustrating the hinge mechanism in dotted lines.

13 is an enlarged cross section along lines li--B of 9 illustratin b5the container. l

g the locking device ofy tainer and hinge mechanism along lines C-C' ,of Fig. 11. 1

.Referring to the drawings, the container lproper, consists of the loods7 member I and the cover member 2, which two members form 'the en'.`

closure of all sides of the container, both of which members are preferably molded of plastic compound, while the hinge and-closure mechanism is made of metal, except in the modications shown in Figs. 9 to 14 inclus-ive, the catch for holding the cover of thel container in closed position is formed also of plastic material moldedv integral with the cover and the body member.

The body member of the container shown in Figs. 1,'2, 3, 7,8, 9 to 14 inclusive, is made'oi plastic material and .is formed with a bottom I, two side walls Hand an end wall .Ib with anl open rend at the right.v Intermediate ofthe .two ends of the body member.. and rforming part of the side walls. Ic are thickened wall sections I5? with a channel I5v and an upstanding ledge I5? as illustrated in Fig. 8 which is along lines C-C-of Fig. 1. This thickened wall section '15b terminates to the left of lines C-C as shown by dotted linesin Fig. 1. The ledge I5a terminates Ain the proximity of the locking pins l, Fig. 1.

The cover 2 is provided with an end wall 2 which in connection with the sides and end wall of the body member I form the closed cavity of the container. The cover 2 is .further provided with side rails I6 which extend the entire length of the cover and when the cover is closedregister in the channel I5 of the body member as illus-l trated inl Fig. 2. The vside rails I6 of the cover are madedeeper at the left end of the cover as `shown by Ita Figs. 3 and 7. This part of the extreme sides of the bodysmernber 3.y and are formed of lips ofvmetallanced from part 3 for a portion of the distance, so as to form the sup,- port for the shaft 6 and the twol link rmembers 4 intermediate of the. base of the hingemember 3 and the cover, as shown in Figs. 3 and '7.v The at portion of the hinge member 3 `is also provided with tWo holes for the rivets 8 which latter are molded into the body member I as shown by Figs. 1, 3 and '7. 'Ihe inclined part of 3 has riveted at its upper end and in the middle thereof a spring 9 by two rivets I0. This spring holds the cards in position in the container. Part II is molded into the cover as shown at I3 and consists of a spring wire bent into U shape sothat when the base of the U shaped wire is molded into the cover the two ends projecting are at right 10 angles to I8. Two small soft rubber tubes I2 are telescoped over the ends of the wire II which when the cover of the container is closed bear downward as shown in dotted lines Fig. 3. The

same is true of fiat spring 9 and is also shownin that position Fig. 3.

Links 4 are provided with slots 4a to permit the shaft 5 to move forwards and backwards in the slots in links 4. The shaft 5 is anchored in holes in the side rails I6a of the cover 2 so that whenv the latter is moved forwards or backwards the shaft 5 is moved with it to the extend permitted by the'slots in links 4 while the hinge member and the parts attached to it are held stationary in the case I by rivets 8. This horizontal motion back and forth opens and engages the catches or locking pins I so that the cover may be raised and then closed and locked. To aid the movement of the cover back and forth, panels I9 and 20 are roughened or stippled to assist adhesion between the thumb or fingers vto push the cover forward or backwards.

,'At the right of Fig. 3 the container is shown in section along lines B-B of Fig. 1. This illustrates the locking pins 'I in closed position. 85 The locking pins are made of round rod, bent at right angles and flattened on the upper half and are inserted into the container pointing to the right and in the cover pointing to the left so that the motion of the cover to the right and 40 leftunlocks yand locks these catches. Those on the cover are inserted into the rails II of the cover andthose on the lcontainer into the thickened wall section I5b. y

The assembly of the container illustrated in 'Figs'. 1, 2, 3, 7 and 8, is begun with the hinge mechanism by inserting shaft 6 into `position after riveting spring 9 thereto, then placing `links 4 on the ends of shaft 6 and peening over the ends of the shaft 6 so as to hold the links thereon; now the entire hinge assembly, comprisingthe body member 3, the spring 9, the shaft 6 and the two links 4, is placed upside down on the inside of the cover between the two rails I6al and shaft 5 is first inserted into one of the holes in rail Ita and forced through the slots in links 4 to the other side rail I 6a and then further forced through the side rail, so as to register evenly with the outside of the side rails of the cover. This prevents the shaft 5 from being displaced when in position on the container, The lockpins I are assembled by a press fit into Vholes molded in the side rails of the coverand the thickened wall section I5b of the container. The cover end with the enlarged side rails Ita is then placed between the side walls of the container I and the flat part of the metal hinge with the two holes are forced into registry with the rivets i! of the container, after which vthe cover is forced forward and a punch is placed between the inside of the endwall Ib' and the cover, with which punch the rivets'are turned over to permanently hold the cover and the hinge mehanism in Operative position on body mem- 75 '.ber I.

To operate the container, the cover is pushed forward to disengage the locking pins l, the cover is then raised, after which the spring 9 is raised with the fingers and a suitable quantity of cards" placed in the container and the cards are pushed backwards against the inclined part of the hinge member so as to taper the cards as shown at I 4 Fig. 5. The spring 9 is then permitted to rest yon top of the cards. As the cover is brought down and the cover closed and pushed back to engage .10

the locking pins 'I the ends I2 of the U spring II will rest on top of the cards under tension and when the cover is pushed forward to openv the container and the cover rotated on the hinge into right angled position with the body member of 15 the container, the top card will be brought forward by I2 to separate it from the balance of the cards in the container for easy removal.

the left against which the cards are pushed when 39?. y

inserted in the'case, which latter is made of yone n y part and open at the right, with the cards showing tapering from the top down, so that the top card is always forward for easy removal. The metal case shown has no cover, but embodies the flat'spring 9 forwhich an .opening is provided in the top of the case, through which the spring4 t will press on the cards until they are all used as shown by dotted lines 9a of thespring in Fig. 5.

The spring is riveted tothe case by rivets II); :t0:l

The'metal case may be provided with ribs vI3 for the purpose of strengthening and to act as a stop for a cover made of metal to telescope the end of the case I and cover the cards projecting therefrom.

Figs. 9, 10, 11, 12, 13 and 14 show a slightly' different construction of the hinge arrangement v .I and the closure catches. In this construction the body member I has no thickened portion of the side walls Ic and the cover 2 'is not provided with 50 side rails I 6; however, the container body is pro-` vided with projections Ia on the-inside of the sidewalls Ic to prevent the cover 2 from being pressed down too far, also to keep the cards in,`

place and to indicate the height towhich thev 5511 cards may be placed in the container. 2a represents a metal strip molded into the end ofthe cover 2 as shown in section of lines A--A Fig. -11 and dotted lines Fig. 12, also in cross `section aio-ng lines c c of Fig. l11 and Fig. 14. ThisV oef metal strip 2a has slots arranged in right angled extensions of the strip indicated by 2b Figs. 11,12 and 14. The hinge member 3 is shaped with a flat part which is riveted to the body member of the container the same as the hinge member of 55" Figs. 1, 2, 3 and '7, but with the construction shown in Figs. 11, 12 and 14 no links 4 are necessary, because it is practical to make the slotsfin theA metal strip 2a as indicated by 2b before this strip is molded into the cover, while it is not practical to mold the slots into the side rails IIa shown in Figs. 1, 2,73 and '1. The hinge member 3 also has an inclined part to which the fiat spring 9 is riveted by rivets I0, but the support for lshaft 5 is provided in a right angled extension of the 16' i'lat part of the hinge member 3 indicated by 3b Figs. 11 and 14. Instead of needing two shafts or pivotal points shown in Figs. l, 2, 3 and 7 only one shaft is needed in the construction of Figs. 9 to lli inclusive because the function of the link is dispensed with by the slot in parts 2b and the cutting away the top of the right angled extensions 3b as illustrated in Fig. ll showing a side elevation of the extension 3la forming a radius oi the shaft 5 to permit the elevation of cover 2 to a position at right angles to the body of the container when the cover is opened for the removal of cards.

The assembly of the cover and hinge mechanism may be made in the same manner as described previously for Figs. l, 2, 3 and '7, leaving the links out of consideration and cutting the lengths of shaft 5 so that the ends of the shaft register v with the inside of the side walls IC when in position, or providing the holes in the side walls, indicated by 5a and 5b and 4making the shaft long enough to extend into the holes indicated and inserting the shaft after the hinge member 3 has been riveted into the body member i with rivets 8 and then placing the cover in position on the container and inserting the shaft 5 from the outside of the sidewall into the hole 5a and press-- ing it into position until yitv `registers with the blind hole 5b on the inner sideof the side wall of the body member I.

Fig. 13 illustrates the righthand end of the container in section along lines B-B of Fig. 9. This sectional View illustrates the cover 2 with the end wall 2c, the body member I with the raised lip 1 and a corresponding cavity la on the inner side of end wall 2c of the cover. The View of Figs. 11 and 13 are with the cover 2v pushed forward and the locking means disengaged andI in position to raise the cover for removal of cards.

I claim:

1. A combination hinge and closure mechanism for a container, composed of a body member and a cover member, said hinge and closure mechanism comprising a slotted member, a shaft ysupported by the cover member of the container and passing through the slot in said slotted member for sliding movement therein, a main hinge member provided with supports for a pivot for said slotted member and cooperating means on the container members for engaging and disengaging the two container members by a sliding movement of the cover member, and a second shaft supported by the main hinge member for providing for rotation of the cover member.

2. A container of the class described, comprising two separate body members with a cavity between them, a hinge mechanism located in said cavity to hold the two body members in operative` relation, said hinge mechanism providing for two separate movements of one of the body members to open and close the container, locking means on the inside of the container and independent of said hinge mechanism and means external of said body members for providing for movement of one in relation to the other to open and close the container.

3. A container for cards comprising two body members and a hinge and closure mechanism, said hinge mechanism being provided with a bevel, a spring for holding rthe cards in position and means embodied in the body members and cooperating with the hinge mechanism for providing for sliding movement of one of the members to unlatch and latch the container.

4. A hinge mechanism for lal container for.

cards, embodying rotary and sliding members and comprising a main hinge member with supports for said rotary and sliding members, a horizontal support on said main hinge member fastenedto the container and a bevel part for aligning the cards in bevel position and for holding the top card in the container forward of the remaining cards.

5. A card case embodying a body member and a cover member, the two members when assembled forming a cavity for receiving cards between them, means located entirely within the cavity for attaching the cover member to the body member in operative relation, means for holding the cards in the card case in xed position, means also located on the inside of said two members for holding the body member and cover member in closed position and further means on the cover member of the card case for moving the top card when the card case is l opened.

6. A case including a pair of cooperating members, means to hinge the members to provide for movement of one thereof to be swung and to slide relative to the other, and means independent of the hinging means to latch the members against swinging upon sliding movement of one of the members toward the hinging means and upon sliding movement of the said one member away from the hinging means to thereby allow the said one member to be swung to open position.

7. A card case comprising a pair of members, means for hingedly relating the members and for providing for relative sliding movement therebetween, means for latching the members against hinging, upon relative sliding movement therebetween when in closed position, and .means cooperating with one of the members to slide the cards forwardly so? as to partially eject same from the case when the latter is opened.

y8. A combination unit hinge mechanism for a container composed of two body members, said hinge mechanism comprising a main supporting member connected to one of the container members and provided with supports having pivots, members with slots supported by said pivots, a shaft operating in the slots of the slotted members and engaging the other container member to secure the said container member in operative relation and means for fastening the main supporting member of the hinge mechanism to the first named container member. v

CHARLES W. BECK. 

